The invention relates to a pedal-operated vehicle of the type having reciprocating pedals capable of upward and downward movement.
Various pedal-operated vehicles of the above-mentioned type have been patented over the years. However, such vehicles have all had one or more drawbacks which have adversely affected their utility and marketability. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,321 of Berman et al. discloses a vehicle having a pair of reciprocating pedals (described as "footboards") and a drive mechanism which cross-couples the pedals together, whereby downward displacement of either pedal causes an equal and upward displacement of the other pedal. Consequently, a person riding the vehicle is highly restricted in the manner of manipulating the pedals. The Berman vehicle also includes a pair of sprockets coupled to a drive shaft by means of "unidirectional" one-way clutches. These clutches substantially prevent backward movement of the vehicle. Such backward movement would be desirable when maneuvering the vehicle into a storage location (particularly if the location is a "tight" space), and also whenever the rider inadvertently travels too far in a forward direction (i.e. into an intersection or past a desired location on a narrow path), and so must back up the vehicle to the desired location.